Lucas Brooks is a VGL 5’4″ Top and our hot pick from NYC’s Frigid Festival

Undoubtedly one of our Top Picks (ahem) for New York’s 2013 Frigid Festivalby Larry Murray

New York City’s Frigid Festival is diverse in every possible way. Sometimes the performers they feature view the universe of possibilities with a telescope to peek into dark corners. Other times it is a microscope where the most minute detail is examined closely. We think VGL 5’4″ Top falls into both categories as a gay lad examines closely the world of possibilities open to his search for love.

It is just one of 30 plays chosen for this midwinter fringe showcase. Interestingly, the choices are not based on merit, nor adjudicated by a knowledgeable committee of dramatists, but rather through the use of a simple lottery. You don’t have to have talent to end up performing as part of this festival, just lucky.

So attending is much like placing a personal ad in the Voice. Results aren’t always what you had hoped for, but sometimes you hit the jackpot, and that’s the way I look at the odds when picking the shows most likely to succeed. This could be a real treat.

Lucas Brooks – VGL 5’4″ Top will appear at the Frigid Festival. Photo of Lucas by Peeta Pix Photography.

In looking over the offerings, this solo promises to be a winner. Here is how it is described:

“Sick and tired of short jokes and snobbery amongst the gay population, Lucas, a sexually frustrated and vertically challenged young top, is ready to fight back. Armed with only a laptop and a quick wit, our gallant hero addresses the loaded topic of sex and how it divides us, rather than unites us, in a time of need.”

There’s a video clip above which shows the earlier iterations of this monologue, and it should quickly tell you whether this is a show you would enjoy. For us, it’s a no-brainer. Self-deprecating humor, authenticity and retelling real life tales is about our favorite way to spend an evening with anyone. Thank you, Lucas.

Lucas Brooks as himself: Since November of 2008, Lucas has been the sole author of Top to Bottom, a blog where he chronicles his experiences with gay culture and sexuality. His wealth of knowledge and sexual experience, along with his highly entertaining sex toy reviews, have earned him a loyal following among various communities of queer readers and sex educators. In 2011, he was ranked #32 on Between the Sheets’ 100 Best Sex Bloggers of the year.

As a playwright, Lucas has composed two full-length one-man shows. His first, “VGL 5’4″ Top” has been presented at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan, the Stonewall Inn, and in the San Francisco Fringe Festival in 2012. The play is an analysis of body image within the gay community, and how it is affected by the rise of internet dating. His second show, “Fame Whore” was originally presented as part of the HOT Festival at Dixon Place in July 2012. In this piece, Lucas addresses his concerns about gay men and there obsessions with glamour and celebrity.

Lucas has also worked as a dating and nightlife columnist for the gay online magazine One Way, theatre critic for CultureMob.com, and nightlife blogger for Antitwink.com.

Matthew Klein (Director): MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College (Class of ’11, recipient of the Lipkin Award for Playwriting). Matthew is the founder and Artistic Director of The Mekka Collective. Current Artistic Associate for The New Group. Directing selected: Journeymen (MRT Spring One-Act Competition, Finalist), When It Ended The First Time (E.A.T.New Works Now), VGL 5’4” TOP (Stonewall Inn). Playwritingselected: Domestic (2012 MITF), Journeymen (Finalist, MRT Spring One-Act Competition, Finalist, 2011 Tennessee Williams One-Act Festival, Semi-finalist for the 2012 Marathon One-Act Series at EST), Table For Three (MRT,Sarah Lawrence College, Where Eagles Dare), 5% (The Red Room).